NCAA Southeast Regionals
April 08, 2010 04:45 PM | General
April 8, 2010
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University junior gymnast Amy Bieski is unapologetic while breathlessly detailing the sizeable advantage she and her Mountaineer teammates will possess at this weekend’s NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, held Saturday, April 10, at 6 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo
“Our home crowd is always amazing,” she said without pause. “They are always so loud! I’m excited for this weekend because I like when there’s a big audience and I love performing in front of a crowd, especially our home crowd.”
After 36 years in the business, Bieski’s coach, Linda Burdette-Good, knows all too well the benefits of competing in a home arena like the WVU Coliseum. She has played host to the regional championships seven times since 1983, and advanced to the national championships in 1999 after finishing in second place. WVU last played host to the Southeast regional in 2007, and the Mountaineer leader believes her squad’s home venue adds an extra-special touch to such an important meet.
“When we are in the Coliseum, performing in front of a big crowd, you can’t help but be amazed,” Burdette-Good explained. “You look up and see all of these fans in the arena and your breath just catches.”
The WVU gymnastics team earned the right to compete in front of its beloved Mountaineer faithful one last time when the squad qualified for the championships last week as the No. 6 seed. Embarking on the program’s 27th regional appearance, the Mountaineers spent a combined five minutes celebrating their achievement before returning to Cary Gym to fine-tune their tumbling, dismounts and landings. A tough field featuring two teams tied at No. 6 on this week’s GymInfo Poll quickly forces perspective onto a squad.
“This is by far one of the most-competitive regionals of the weekend,” Burdette-Good said. “We know we will be facing a tough, tough field.”
The Mountaineers must get through No. 6-ranked Stanford and Michigan, the championships’ top two seeds, No. 18-ranked Southern Utah, NC State, the East Atlantic Gymnastics League’s (EAGL) No. 1-ranked team, and Kent State before it can advance to its fourth national championships.
WVU had moderate success against three of the teams this season. The Mountaineers earned a 192.425-190.825 victory over KSU at Pitt on Jan. 16 and a 194.0-193.225 home win over NCSU on Jan. 24. The Wolverines played spoiler to the Mountaineers’ early-season win-streak with a sound 196.4-194.475 road victory on Feb. 5, while the Wolfpack earned a 195.7-195.075 win two weeks ago at the 2010 EAGL Championship.
Burdette-Good says her squad cannot afford to lose its focus Saturday if it wants to secure one of the regional’s two team bids to the national championships, hosted this year by the University of Florida on April 22-23.
“Our goal is to perform Saturday the way we have been practicing in Cary Gym,” she said. “We have to do what we’ve done every meet this season – we have to try to just make our routines. The scores will fall as they will. All we can do is get on the equipment, make our routines and give ourselves a chance.”
A recent stretch of productivity will certainly aid the Mountaineers in their quest for Gainesville. Though WVU fell short of its seventh EAGL title, the squad produced its second-highest point total (195.075) and finished third at the league championship on March 27 in Durham, N.H. The team also finished third on beam (48.7) and vault (48.9), and fourth on bars (48.775) and floor (48.7).
Following the four-day championship trip, the Mountaineers, who anticipate a week’s break from the books like every other college student, returned to Morgantown and enjoyed the university’s spring break in the gym.
“It was so nice to have a week off and just concentrate on gymnastics,” Bieski said. “I think that break will help us because we were all able to clear our heads and get away from the stress of class.”
After a two-day vacation last weekend, the Mountaineers have attacked their practices with ferocity and enthusiasm.
“Everyone has looked really good this week in practice,” Bieski continued. “We know our only chance of qualifying for the national championships is for all of us to be on top of our game this weekend. We have to hit and we can’t mess up.
“We have prepared for this regional thinking like we have nothing to lose, and I think that’s good. It’s not like we’re one of the favorites. I would hate to be favored – you have so much more pressure on you. I think it’s good to be the underdog.”
Though Bieski’s squad may be overlooked, the all-arounder from Nanticoke, Pa., enters the championships with a 39.145 regional qualifying score (RQS) and is ranked as the nation’s 37th-best gymnast. If the Mountaineers fall short in their quest for a team bid to nationals, Bieski stands out as one of the squad’s best chances for an individual qualification. The top two all-arounders not attached to a qualifying team advance to the national championships.
Bieski, one of three team captains, has been stellar this season, assuming the role as the squad’s top point earner following the graduation of 2009 national championships qualifier Mehgan Morris. Solid across the gym, Bieski has earned 39.0-plus points in seven meets this year. With 14 career 39.0-plus scores to her name, she currently ranks seventh in program history and can move into a tie for fifth place with another 39.0-plus showing Saturday.
Consistent high scores have pushed Bieski’s career point total to 1,435.8 through 38 meets. She made the leap onto WVU’s career point list two meets ago and currently ranks 17th all-time.
Also regionally-ranked 14th on floor with a 9.84 RQS, Bieski knows a qualification is hers for the taking this weekend.
“I’m looking for that team qualification first – that’s ultimately how I want to get to the championships,” she said. “I want to do well Saturday, and not for selfish reasons – I know that I can most help my team by doing well on each event. I think in order for me to qualify as an all-arounder, I will have to hit four-for-four. I have also been working on a new floor routine and I think I have found a way to set myself apart from the competition. I feel confident with it. I know my current routine is good, but there are going to be so many strong gymnasts here Saturday. I need a routine that will give me an edge.”
Bieski’s confidence extends to her teammates.
“We have a lot of gymnasts on our team that have a chance to individually qualify,” she continued. “Chelsi (Tabor’s) vault has been looking really strong in practice, and Shelly (Purkat’s) beam routine is great.”
As Bieski alludes to, Tabor’s vault has been looking “really strong,” but not just in practice. The senior and Beckley, W.Va., native had an incredible run on vault at the Coliseum in March, executing with near-perfection and sticking a personal-best 9.95 vault on March 6 and scoring a 9.9 on March 19. Ranked sixth in program history with seven 9.9-plus scores, Tabor can’t fully comprehend her recent string of success.
“I didn’t know how I could get a higher vault score than a 9.925; I hadn’t passed that mark since my sophomore season,” she said. “I’ve tried really hard to stick my landings, and when I hit the vault that day (March 6), I just knew.
“There’s no better feeling than a 9.95. Of course, a 9.975 or a 10.0 would be better! My ultimate goal would be to pass my best, but if I don’t, I can stick with vaulting a 9.95 my senior year.”
Achieving her goal would undoubtedly put Tabor within grasp of an individual qualification. An event-specialist can only advance to the national championships if she finishes first on the apparatus at regionals.
Nationally ranked 47th with a 9.855 RQS, Tabor has historically vaulted well at the regional championships, finishing as high as fifth in 2008 with a 9.9 vault. She knows the stakes are highest this year.
“It would be pretty ridiculous and over the top,” she said of individually qualifying for the national championships. “Just like Mehgan did last year, there’s no other way to end your senior season than going to nationals. I hope our whole team qualifies. I hope we all hit Saturday, have the best meet of the season and qualify as a group. But if we don’t, and if I were to have the best vault of the night and qualify, it would be unbelievable.
“I’ve had the goal to go to nationals since my sophomore year. I want to hit the vault of my life at regionals and qualify. If I don’t, then it’s OK. But if I do, it will be crazy awesome. I think I will go into shock.”
Tabor’s shock will be surpassed only by her mother Katy’s, a constant fixture along the Coliseum’s vault runway.
“The whole Tabor clan will be in attendance this weekend,” she continued through laughter. “I think I will be speechless if I stick my vault and qualify in front of my family. I’m going to need waterproof mascara because I will definitely cry!”
Burdette-Good believes her team boasts a few potential qualifiers, but insists that there is no room for thoughts of perfection at Saturday’s championships.
“I don’t think there’s any pressure on an individual to qualify,” she said. “The coaches have tried to convince this team all season that you can’t try for your best, most-perfect routine of your life. You have to go out there and do the routine you practice each day. You have to be consistent, and you can’t force it.”
Confident in her gymnasts’ skills and secure with the team’s tireless efforts throughout the year, Burdette-Good is excited and eager to enjoy the Mountaineers’ final home meet of 2010.
“A big crowd Saturday will show all of the teams what support they have behind them,” she explained. “Our athletes would be so excited if a huge Mountaineer crowd came out to the meet on Saturday. I’m hoping for a crowd that wants to see a good show, because that’s exactly what they’ll get!”
Tickets to the 2010 NCAA Southeast Regional are $10 each when purchased in advance and are available online at WVUGAME.com or by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office at 1-800-WVU-GAME. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate on Saturday for $12. Groups of 10 or more can receive a special group rate of $6 per person by calling 1-800-WVU GAME in advance, and WVU students are admitted free of charge with a valid student ID.
